Genre: Paranormal

Rubber-Band Ball

A metallurgist's desire for Mason to locate the earth energy points running under Los Angeles seems straightforward enough, but what is he planning to do with them once he knows where they are? A shady real estate transaction and a bizarre machine hidden in the backyard might reveal some answers. Mason's research leads him to Julia, a waitress and part-time banker who draws him into a quest of her own, plumbing the depths of the radio era when she uncovers a cache of forgotten artifacts. And what does Meg, descendant of a long forgotten radio star, know about it, hiding from the world in her townhouse?

From digging up the yard to tracking down clues on the other side of the country, and with the begrudging support of his boyfriend, Ned, and help from their roommate, Peggy, the intrepid bicycle-riding psychic investigator uses his paranormal skills and real-world insights to get to the bottom of the twisted mystery.

“Another fast-paced ride through Los Angeles by Church, who continues to reinvent and reinvigorate Mason Braithwaite, keeping the Paranormal Mystery Series relevant and entertaining. Church’s writing is vivid, the worlds he creates believable, and his characters have a breadth of humanity, strength, and vulnerability that makes the series a fun-filled, page-turning adventure.” —Jeremy Randolph, author of The Mural

The Man from Grapalia

When Etor shows up on the doorstep of the wealthy Whitby family claiming to be a long-lost relative, Henry, the scion of the Los Angeles dynasty, hires psychic investigator Mason to find out whether the interloper really did come from a parallel universe. Why does the matriarch, Margaret, hiding upstairs in her room, refuse to meet Mason? And why has Henry taken such a personal interest in Mason? With help from a bizarre splinter of his own personality and his burgeoning psychic insights, Mason snoops around the palatial Whitby estate, digging into the long-held secrets of the family and staff, and with an excursion to New Mexico, uncovers the truth about Etor, the man from Grapalia.

“Every foray by Church’s wonderful psychic detective Mason Braithwaite is a truly suspenseful page-turner in the most unusual crime series ever, and certainly one that no aficionado of crime fiction should miss.” —David Osborn, author of the best-selling Cold War thrillers The French Decision and Love and Treason

The Desert Rats

Strange things start to happen as soon as psychic investigator Mason and his boyfriend, Ned, and their roommate, Peggy, arrive in the high desert. An old friend sends him on a quest to identify an artifact found hidden among his dead father’s possessions, and the journey brings him into contact with a series of odd characters—not least the enigmatic Laura, who’s camping out on the desert but seems to be up to something else. With the help of a manicurist, a librarian, and a revealing side-trip back to Los Angeles, Mason manages to sharpen his psychic skills and gain insights into Gilbert’s artifact—and perhaps even the hidden structure of the world.

“A whole new exciting slant on private eye-ing … may we see more of Mason, his unabashedly psychic detective and a lot more of Church’s no-nonsense plotting. I loved it—couldn’t put it down.” —David Osborn, best-selling author of Open Season, Murder On Martha’s Vineyard, and The French Decision

Signs Point to Yes

After quitting his dead-end job, Mason enacts his dream of becoming a psychic investigator, despite skepticism from his boyfriend. Eluding sketchy Hollywood thugs, surviving his first lap dance, and paying close attention to his dreams, he manages to solve a few mysteries and even surprise himself with his psychic skills.

“Looking for a page turning detective yarn which will keep you riveted right to the last word? Signs Point To Yes features a whole new exciting slant on private eye-ing and is the book for you. May we see more of Mason, his unabashedly psychic detective and a lot more of Church’s no nonsense plotting. I loved it. Couldn’t put it down.” —David Osborn, author of Murder on Martha’s Vineyard and The French Decision

Penstock Canyon

Helping out Gilbert, a friend who’s suffering from late-night visitations, psychic investigator Mason is confronted with aliens on the roof, and soon finds himself caught in a whirlwind of paranormal events. Liminal beings contract him to stop a very real land development project in Los Angeles, pitting him against ruthless and powerful forces. With help from his boyfriend, Ned, and their roommate, Peggy, Mason manages to con his way into obtaining documents that might upend the whole project, but is it worth his own safety? A threatening visit from a shadowy figure and an alien abduction therapist from Texas have Mason questioning his career, his motivations, and the very nature of reality.

“In the world of crime fiction, few come up with true originality. But Christopher Church has, and with exciting imagination.… Keep reading—you won’t regret a single gripping page.” —David Osborn, best-selling author of Open Season, Murder on Martha’s Vineyard, and The French Decision

Reach for the Sky

A bougie addict and his wife hire Mason to hunt for buried loot, but he’s not even sure it exists. His psychic insights lead him to an old building with a lot to hide, as well as trying to outwit a Freemason, and getting tangled up with a woman who claims to be rooting out corruption in local government—but why does she need a psychic to do that? Working undercover for her at city hall, he runs up against some vicious civil servants who will stop at nothing to protect the status quo.

The third installment of the Mason Braithwaite Paranormal Mystery Series finds the bicycle-riding psychic investigator gaining confidence in using his newfound reality-distorting research techniques, struggling with his own rapid evolution while being drawn into unexpected peril as he navigates the shiny heights and gritty underbelly of Los Angeles. Despite his instinct to blame his boyfriend for getting involved with shady people, Ned is always there to provide insight and help pick up the pieces, and their roommate, Peggy, is back on stage and more pregnant than ever. With deft manipulation, Mason cuts through the lies and exposes secrets that are both dark and twisted and incredibly inspiring.

“In the world of crime fiction, few come up with true originality. But Christopher Church has, and with exciting imagination.… Keep reading—you won’t regret a single gripping page.” —David Osborn, best-selling author of Open Season, Murder on Martha’s Vineyard, and The French Decision

Billy Blood

A fender-bender on the freeway gets psychic investigator Mason entangled with Catherine, an enigmatic visitor from DC—but who, exactly, does she work for? Trying to track her down, he runs across Billy Blood, a Los Angeles company that markets a stomach-churning “lifestyle drink” made with animal blood, and goes to work for its shady CEO to find out who has been vandalizing the product. Recruited by Hanh, an old friend from the psychic world, to rescue a lost colleague, Mason meets an ally with serious dirt on the company, and manages to dredge up some of his own. And why is Catherine so interested in his research work for Billy Blood? Hounded by the media and mortified to see his face on the news, Mason battles a billion-dollar corporation, sharpening his psychic skills and wrestling with a dilemma most of us face at one time or another—doing what’s convenient versus doing what’s right.

Backed by his boyfriend, Ned, and their roommate, Peggy, who are almost always willing to help him out, this fourth book in the Mason Braithwaite Paranormal Mystery Series sees the bicycle-commuting detective using his psychic insight, along with a newfound experimental hypnosis technique, on the seedy side of the West Coast entertainment industry.

“Church’s exquisite details, simple yet powerful, make the book’s supernatural scenes believable, even as they defy logic. His intelligent writing allows a surprisingly complex story to unfold with the perfect integrity of an origami animal.” —Yarrott Benz, author of The Bone Bridge and 2016 IPPY Award gold medalist

The Invisible Arrow

When an old client sends psychic investigator Mason on a ghost hunt, he stumbles onto a research lab populated by strangely passive scientists with some remarkably advanced tech. Ingratiating himself with Annette, the director, by participating in the local town’s folk festival as the Hunter, Mason scores a gig—to find Qualtrough, a scientist gone missing under mysterious circumstances. Equipped by the researchers with a new suit and a fat wad of cash, and using his burgeoning psychic powers, Mason sets out on his own to hunt for Qualtrough in the shadowy underworld of Los Angeles nightlife, tangling with drag queens, cops, and con artists and finding his voice in an unfamiliar world.

“Mason is a hero like none who have come before him: a sensitive, queer P.I. whose only weapon is his intuition. This book turns the detective genre on its head and makes you think about the ninety percent of your brain you’re not using.” —Teja Watson, author of Attic.doc